Accessibility

ALT Tags
are utilized by the computers operating system to read aloud a description of an image and also display text when images are mis-linked.

ALT Tags
should only be 8 or 10 words long

Text as CSS allows for Browsers and operating systems to display in the user's language of choice.

To attract and keep disabled users the site must design for meaning over appearance.

Disabled users are very loyal once they find a user-friendly and valued site ... because it takes them a long time to find them.

Hearing-impaired users rely on content they can see, and so they need a visual alternative, such as a transcript, to any audible materials.

Initiatives such as Section 508 and the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) have produced guidelines and mandates requiring that nontext content be rendered in an alternate format that is accessible to disabled users, such as text captions for audible content and text descriptions of visual content.

Text
is the most widely accessible content there is.

Multimedia
vision-impaired users cannot see content such as graphics, video, or animations. To access visual content, they need a text alternative that can be spoken by a screen reader.

Audio and video not only offer another sensory input which is helpful for long term memory, they also provide the user with a sense of the presenter's personality.

You can use the ALT parameter to include a short description of the animation in your applet or animated GIF XHTML code.

Do not make image maps or buttons too small as that limits access to users with motor disabilities by requiring precise cursor placement.

Operating systems (OSs) have built-in text readers and font size adjustments disabled users already use.

Be pragmatic when designing web pages, sometimes other design considerations take precedents over accessibility to all.

Content should be written at a grade school level for users with cognative disablities. However the target audience should drive the content taxonomy.

More information at the World Wide Web Consortiums (W3Cs) Web Accessiblity Initiative (WAI) site